An Urban Comic Fantasy Setting
A Pain the Arcane is set in the bustling magical metropolis of Newald (a portmanteau of new and old) Upon Aldnew (a portman… you get it) London.
The London of Ald (Old) is long-gone, destroyed, rebuilt, destroyed again, and built once more for at least the fourth time with a stubborn upper lip that one can really only attribute to a kind of collective mania.
Despite being responsible for almost every single apocalyptic city-ending event ever recorded, the Peers: a class of wizards, warlocks and witches, remain steadfastly in control of the social hierarchy and infrastructure built entirely on the debt accumulated over a millennia of bargains, bonds, and contracts made with various demons, devils, angels, eldritch powers, and Americans.
London is always a day away from disaster, and it’s up to your fresh plucky band of MIA officers to delay the apocalypse for another 24 hours.
MIA is the branch of the British secret services dedicated to cleaning up the mistakes of The Peers was set up by Her Majesty the Queen Lizard II after London was destroyed the first time. It was a complete failure, and has continued to fail miserably ever since. Some might guess that this was because the College of Peers has never passed a budget large enough to employ a secretary on more than a 0.45 FTE rate, but who can say.
Regardless, MIA do what they can, paying their agents in a personal sense of civic duty via an ever expanding list of medals in recognition of valorous service, and old war rations. After all, isn’t the knowledge that the Queen appreciates what you do fulfilling enough?
So get your badge, your bayonet (rifle not included), and your holy police tape, and get out there!
A Pain the Arcane is a setting based in the hot political mess of post-pre-apocalyptic Newald-Upon-Aldnew-London. Or just London if you prefer. Fights occur as often in the foggy cobblestone streets outside dingy bars and wharfs as in the posh boardrooms and teahouses frequented by members of the Peerage.
Missions follow a stunningly predictable series of events: